Minnesota’s Faribault County is dealing with a significant election mistake after sending out ballots that incorrectly labeled Republican state Rep. Peggy Bennett as a Democrat. Her opponent, Democrat Joe Staloch, was wrongly identified as the Republican candidate. The error was caught after early voting began, affecting 17 voters in District 23A.
Bennett was notified of the issue by a supporter who mistakenly cast their vote for Staloch, believing him to be the Republican candidate. In response, Bennett reassured her supporters that she remains a loyal Republican and expressed frustration over the lack of oversight in preventing the error. She criticized the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office for not catching the problem before ballots were printed.
The Secretary of State’s office, however, deflected responsibility, stating that it accurately provided candidate information and that counties are responsible for the printing of ballots. Faribault County is now seeking corrective legal action to ensure the votes of those affected by the error are counted properly.
Bennett stressed that election integrity is paramount and warned that such errors undermine public confidence in the voting system. While disappointed, she acknowledged that local election officials have been working hard to address the problem and praised their efforts.
This incident adds to growing concerns over election security in Minnesota, especially after the recent controversy surrounding non-citizens being added to the state’s voter registration system through automatic registration.
